Thin Walls and Shower Duets
by desperate-clexa-trash
Summary: Tumblr prompt: "So we've never met but our showers are on opposite sides of the same apartment wall so sometimes we're showering at the same time and we sing duets." Or, Clarke likes singing show tunes in the shower and one day Lexa joins in. (Clexa AU) Rating change for chapters 4 and up.
1. Chapter 1

Clarke stood in the doorway of her new apartment, wondering above all else how on earth her couch was going to fit in the tiny space that her realtor had dared to call a living room. She figured she'd make do, as she always did.

"Bell, do you think my couch can even fit in this room?"

A series of small grunts accompanies his reply as Bellamy makes it up the final set of stairs with the last, and heaviest box from the van, "maybe diagonally?"

Clarke knows he's trying to be positive, but interning, even at Boston's Mass. General isn't lucrative enough for anything better than this admittedly very sad looking apartment.

"That might just have to do at this point" she says, mostly to herself.

"God DAMN it guys can one of you assholes come back and help us with this?" a voice calls out from the hall, undeniably Raven's, "Octavia looks like she's about to hit the floor."

"I'm literally dying, my biceps were not designed for such strenuous activity, Clarke" Octavia confirms, her tone strained but no less sarcastic than usual.

Rushing to prevent Octavia from actually getting crushed by the butt end of Clarke's couch, Bellamy and Raven manage to haul it into the corner of the living room. It doesn't quite fit across the back wall of the room, so there's a wedge of space left behind the back of the couch and the remnants of mottled wallpaper presumably left behind by the last tenants. Clarke doesn't mind too much though, because as soon as the couch hits the ground all four friends immediately collapse on to it in a heap, laughing as Bellamy's knee collides with the floor as he is pushed off by the three girls.

"Dicks," he mutters under his breath as he proceeds to stand back up and belly flop across the three of them, making sure to plant his muddy shoes in Octavia's lap.

* * *

Clarke felt the weight of her decision to move out of her parents' luxurious home the sink in once Raven and the Blake siblings had left. She still had all of her boxes to unpack, so while the apartment had been filled up with the pieces of furniture she had decided to bring with her, the emptiness of the place served to remind her how mentally unprepared she felt to be suddenly living on her own. Even in college she'd always had a roommate to keep her company, and even though she'd sometimes wished she had a room to herself, she knew in the end she liked that when she opened her dorm room door things would always be a little different. Her roommate's socks picked up from underneath the kitchen bench or the lingering smell of coffee brewed while she was out still in the air. Knowing without a doubt that she would come how to an apartment exactly how she had left it, with all her dangerous thoughts and feelings stagnant behind the closed door frightened her, and while the move was inevitable given how far her parents' mansion was from the hospital, it didn't make it any easier.

She figured a shower might help her regain enough energy to finish the unpacking she'd not yet started, so digging around in her backpack she pulled out the shower bag she usually reserved for using at the hospital and made her way through the minefield of boxes to the bathroom.

* * *

" _Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes, five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred moments so dear"_

Lexa had been trying to sleep when she heard the banging and laughter accompanying the person presumably moving into the cursed apartment next to hers. It was enough to make her consider moving out more times than she could count, the amount of crazy shit she'd had to put up with from about a thousand different people who had lived in that apartment over the past three years. She'd given up caring who stayed and who left after trying to tell Anya a story about the drunken shower sex she'd been forced to listen to at about four in the morning a couple of weeks back, forgetting whether it was "alternative medicine" 'Benny' or the yoga obsessed 'Rick' who had moved out within about five days of being there. Now though, with what sounded suspiciously like show tunes floating through the shared wall of their bathrooms she couldn't help but think this one might not make her want to abuse her power as a detective and threaten their life with her gun (not that she'd seriously entertained that thought for much longer than a few minutes recently).

" _Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes, five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes, how do you measure – measure a year?"_

Whoever this woman was she could definitely sing, Lexa would give her that, her soft spot for Rent aside. She was killing this rendition for sure.

" _In daylights – in sunsets, in midnights – in cups of coffee. In inches – in miles, in laughter – in strife. In – five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure a year in the life?"_

Plodding around her kitchen in an attempt to wake herself up enough to do her fourth nightshift in a row, Lexa wondered how she possibly let Lincoln talk her into covering for him this week. She could feel herself turning nocturnal and sleeping during the day wasn't working so well for her in an apartment complex with paper-thin walls.

" _How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love."_

Okay. Maybe they weren't so bad.

* * *

Unpacking, Clarke had decided, was possibly worse than packing. It seems so easy to just let the boxes sit there, picking things up out of them as she needed. Not that she really needed much more than her box set of The West Wing and the tv remote. She'd convinced herself over the past couple of days that she deserved a break, that unpacking could wait. At least until she finished the first disk of season one.

Seventeen disks in, Clarke reminded herself that she was a grown woman who, after a whole week of living in her own apartment should definitely have at least made a start on unpacking her life from the boxes strewn across most of the free floor space. Today, she decided, was the day.

Finally glad to have sailed through the last of her night shifts, Lexa gave herself permission to sleep in on Saturday instead of going for her usual jog at five in the morning, a luxury she couldn't afford most of the time if she wanted to stay fit enough to race Lincoln around the precinct in one of their many attempts to break the record set by their chief, Gustus, in his glory days as a uniform cop. Waking up at nine, though, she could feel her lungs itching for the fresh air they had been denied for the past week, so she slipped into her running gear and spent the next hour of her jog wishing she'd saved the cup of coffee until after she'd gone out. Or at least that she'd gone to the bathroom after waking up. Running with a full bladder was definitely not one of her favourite experiences.

Toeing off her shoes at the door, Lexa made her way to the bathroom to shower off after her run, taking note of yet another album of show tunes drifting through the wall from the apartment next to hers.

" _Once I'm with the Wizard, my whole life will change, 'cuz once you're with the Wizard, no one thinks you're strange!"_

She had gone to see Wicked with Costia when it had come a few years ago, buying the album and listening to it on repeat for weeks afterwards, so when she heard the lyrics drift through she knew she'd have trouble not singing along herself.

" _No father is not proud of you, no sister acts ashamed, and all of Oz has to love you, when by the Wizard, you're acclaimed"_

Stepping into the shower and letting the hot water soothe her muscles was enough to make her forget about Wicked, Costia and the girl next door. That was until she heard the faucet start up from the other side of the wall. Lexa could almost feel it coming, the last chords of the song reaching through the tiled blue wall of her dingy bathroom. She knew this album by heart, and she had no doubt the girl showering mere steps from her on the other side of the wall did too, because the next thing Lexa knew she heard the girl mimicking perfectly the nasally lines of dialogue to start the next track.

" _Dearest, darlingest, Momsie and Popsicle"_

The girl paused, letting the music pick up the response as Lexa whispered the line in unison.

" _My dear father"_

The thought crossed her mind that the girl on the other side of the wall probably doesn't even know she exists, let alone that Lexa had been listening in to all her mid-morning shower recitals. But it really was now or never, and Lexa wanted to have some fun.

" _There's been some confusion over rooming here at Shiz"_

This time Lexa sang along loud enough to know the girl would surely be able to hear her over the sound of the faucets.

" _But, of course, I'll care for Nessa."_

 _But, of course, I'll rise above it._

Lexa wasn't really surprised when the music continued without the girl's voice overlaying across the top for the next line, but she loved this song too much to back down when it was her turn to sing again.

" _For I know that's how you'd want me to respond, yes. There's been some confusion for you see, my roommate is..."_

" _Unusually and exceedingly peculiar and altogether quite impossible to describe..."_

The voice on the other side of the wall was quiet. And more than a little tentative, but Lexa could swear it was there. So she replied.

" _Blonde"_

Lexa wondered if both of these things were true of them or just the first. She was pretty sure joining in to someone else's shower singing was something that could absolutely be described as 'peculiar' but she couldn't really find it in herself to care.

* * *

On the other side of the wall, Clarke was feeling pretty bewildered about the situation, but whether it was through shock or just plain muscle memory, she found herself singing the next line.

" _What is this feeling, so sudden and new?"_

She honestly hadn't given her neighbour a single thought since she'd moved in. Perhaps because they hadn't made any significant noise before this moment or ever prompted her to notice they were around. Clarke wondered if they could hear her singing anything else. She couldn't be sure, but she usually sang in the shower, and she could probably guarantee she'd made a fool of herself at least once since moving in.

" _I felt the moment I laid eyes on you."_

She had to presume the person next door was a woman by the sound of her voice, which was pretty good, all things considered.

" _My pulse is rushing,"_

" _My head is reeling,"_

" _My face is flushing,"_

So far it had been a back and forth between the two of them, and Clarke wondered briefly whether the woman next door would actually join in for the next part.

" _What is this feeling? Fervid as a flame, does it have a name?  
Yes!  
Loathing. Unadulterated loathing."_

Clarke didn't know what she expected, especially from someone who had spontaneously invited themselves to sing along with her, but she found herself even more surprised when the woman proceeded to follow her character's part, harmonising perfectly with Clarke as she followed Galinda's part as she normally would.

" _For your face,"_

" _Your voice,"_

" _Your clothing,"_

The two seemed to weave effortlessly through the call and answer section, before joining again, both women finding themselves lost in the song and paying little attention to the absolutely bizarre situation they had both found themselves in.

" _Let's just say - I loathe it all!  
Every little trait however small, makes my very flesh begin to crawl, with simple utter loathing.  
There's a strange exhilaration, in such total detestation, it's so pure, so strong.  
Though I do admit it came on fast, still I do believe that it can last."_

They really couldn't have made this any more awkward, Clarke thought, not only had they not yet spoken, but the two of them could not have picked a worse song to be singing along to. Clarke didn't have any particular interest in making friends with the people in her apartment block, but she sure as hell didn't want to be getting off on the wrong foot with someone she might have to put up with for the rest of her internship. She couldn't help but think, with the last lines of their duet, that she might be sending the wrong message.

 _"And I will be loathing, loathing you my whole life long!"_


	2. Chapter 2

Wow. Apologies to anyone who saw that funky looking mess of a chapter before I had a chance to upload again. Kudos to kiara66 for giving me the heads up.

* * *

When Lexa woke to the sound of an enthusiastic rendition of 'Do you Want to Build a Snowman,' she learned something about the girl next door. Her taste in music was clearly as unapologetically bad as her own. She shuffled out to the kitchen and put on some coffee, the sound of her coffee maker blocking any further songs from Frozen assaulting her ears so early in the morning. She didn't hate it, and if she was being honest she'd listened to the soundtrack religiously after it had first come out, but there were only so many times she could listen to the same four songs without driving herself mad.

Lexa knew how she liked to structure her mornings. She'd worked out not long after starting at the department that if she didn't give herself enough time in the mornings for a coffee and a long shower, she would spend the entire day grumpy and uncomfortable. As strange as she felt about the decision to sing along with the girl in the shower two days ago, she wasn't going to let it keep her from starting the day in a good mood.

* * *

Hearing the sound of the shower starting up from her neighbouring apartment, Clarke didn't even stop to think before jumping in the shower herself. Turning up the volume a few notches on her iPod speakers to make sure she would be able to hear it over the water and rushing into the bathroom, she turned on the shower and sang out the final lines of 'For the First Time in Forever' before pausing for the track to change. This was too good an opportunity to throw away.

* * *

 _"'Cause for the first time in forever, for the first time in forever, nothing's in my way!"_

Lexa sighed. She was still holding out hope that by the time they inevitably met, the girl next door would have forgotten what had happened the other morning, and they could live in perfect ignorance of one another like she had with all the other tenants of that apartment. However as soon as she heard the shower next door and felt the accompanying cold splash of water, an unavoidable side effect of their interconnected plumbing, she knew the girl next door had not forgotten.

 _"All my life has been a series of doors in my face, and then suddenly I bump into you,"_

In fact, it seemed as though this was somehow a request for it to happen again. Perhaps she was not as weirded out about the situation as Lexa thought she may be. Either way, Lexa wasn't going to let her down.

 _"I was thinking the same thing! 'Cause like, I've been searching my whole life to find my own place, and maybe it's the party talking or the chocolate fondue,"_

Lexa heard a giggle from the girl next door, though she wasn't sure whether it was in character or in response to Lexa's attempt to sing much lower than she normally would, her voice a gravelly accompaniment to Hans'.

 _"But with you"_

 _"But with you I've found my place"_

 _"I see your face"_

 _"And it's nothing like I've ever known before"_

* * *

Clarke heard the voice next door clearly struggling with the low notes of the song, but she had to admit it was almost… endearing? She couldn't place why, but the thought that this complete stranger was willing to indulge her rather childish whim was thrilling, and, despite herself, she giggled. She felt like she was eight years old, cradling a little exciting secret in her hands. Clarke knew the whole situation was weird, but she couldn't deny the joy that bubbled up inside her when she heard the woman singing back to her through the wall.

 _"Love is an open door! Love is an open door!"_

 _"Love is an open door with you"_

 _"With you,"_

 _"With you,"_

 _"With you!"_

 _"Love is an open door."_

But also, this was hilarious. And pretty unbelievable. Clarke made a mental note to tell Monty about this, he would eat it up.

 _"I mean it's crazy,"_

 _"What?"_

 _"We finish each other's–"_

 _"Sandwiches"_

 _"That's what I was gonna say!"_

 _"I've never met someone who thinks so much like me- Jinx! Jinx again!  
Our mental synchronisation, can have but one explanation."_

 _"You"_

 _"And I"_

 _"Were"_

 _"Just"_

 _"Meant"_

 _"To be!"_

* * *

Lexa could feel her time slipping slowly and surely away from her as she stood in her shower, long beyond clean, purely to continue singing with the girl next door. She was going to have to get dressed very quickly if she planned to make it out the door on time to get to work, but she certainly didn't have any regrets.

 _"Say goodbye"_

 _"Say goodbye"_

 _"To the pain of the past, we don't have to feel it anymore!  
"Love is an open door! Love is an open door! Life can be so much more,"_

 _"With you,"_

 _"With you,"_

 _"With you,"_

 _"With you!"_

 _"Love is an open door!"_

While probably one of the more ridiculous things she'd ever done, she found herself enjoying the time spent with her mysterious neighbour. Turning off the taps, she stepped out of the shower and rushed to do her hair before throwing on her uniform and running out of the apartment block, wishing the whole time that she could have stayed just a little longer.

* * *

"Yo, Granola," Lexa called out from the break room, "can I ask you something?"

"Seriously, stop calling me that," Lincoln answered, though clearly unfazed, "what's up?"

"You ever made eye contact with a stranger on a train or something when you know you're both thinking the same thing? Like if someone was doing something embarrassing and you share a look with someone else watching."

"I think I know where you're coming from, actually, I went down to that 7-Eleven on my block a couple weeks back and some dude was having a go at the checkout lady because they weren't selling cinnamon chewing gum. Anyway, the guy walked out and we both just started laughing and then I bought my toilet paper and left."

"Yeah! It's a nice feeling right? I had a strange moment with the chick who lives next door this morning and I've been feeling weird all day."

"Huh. Is she hot?" Lincoln smirked, Lexa wasn't surprised he'd find some way to turn it around.

Lexa settled for smacking him on the back of the head and walking away as his answer for that. Plus, she actually had no idea.


	3. Chapter 3

"Sleep is for the weak, Clarke!"

Clarke could hear banging. And yelling.

Bellamy yelling. And knocking on the door.

"Bell it's like," getting out of bed and looking at the clock display on the microwave Clarke had used shamefully often over the past five weeks, Clarke noted the time, "eight in the morning, what do you want?"

"It's Saturday, Clarke, O has her soccer game," Bellamy said, "you promised you'd be there!"

"Oh, shit. Okay. Give me like. Three minutes, max. I'll just throw on something warm, hang on." Clarke ran off toward her bedroom while Bellamy stepped inside, turning on the TV to pass the time.

"Hey," he called out, "how could you not tell me about your hot neighbour? She's smoking, and totally my type, I'm a little offended Griffin."

Clarke's face was suddenly visible around the corner of the living room, slightly slack-jawed in shock.

"What?"

"Your hot neighbour. If I had a neighbour as hot as yours I'd totally tell you about him because _I'm a good friend._ Unlike someone" He looked pointedly at Clarke.

"Did you see her?"

"Yeah she was coming back from a run when I came in, why?"

Clarke blushed. She had been hoping to run into this neighbour for a while now, but there was only so much time she could spend hanging around outside her apartment door without arousing suspicion. Bellamy, as much of an ass that it made him, had high standards, so to say her neighbour was hot was high praise in his books. Clarke wasn't sure she knew what to do with that information. She'd been harbouring a small crush on this mysterious person with the lovely voice from next door, but she feared that finding herself attracted to her neighbour might make dealing with that crush entirely unbearable. She absolutely did not want Bellamy to know that, though, so she brushed it off before the conversation could continue.

"I haven't even met her, Bell, if I thought she was as hot as you say I'm sure I would've let you know."

"Good." He grinned. "Okay, let's go, you don't want to keep my sister waiting on game day."

* * *

Since learning of her neighbour's apparent attractiveness Clarke couldn't help her mind from wandering when they sang together over the next week. She had learned quite a bit about the woman next door. At least, she learned what kind of music she liked, noting over time the songs she would sing to and those she wouldn't. She also knew the woman next door was extremely cheeky. She must have been living there longer than Clarke had, knowing not only how to manipulate the shower to the perfect temperature but also how to abuse the blast of cold water that would come whenever both showers were on at the same time. Clarke had woken up late one morning, not leaving herself nearly enough time to make it to work on time. She had jumped in the shower, noting that the woman next door had already started hers, but not bothering to choose a song to play as she had done each time previously. She simply didn't have enough time. The woman had clearly noticed the lack of music, and had spent the duration of Clarke's three minute shower displaying her displeasure by humming and sending surprise bursts of cold water perfectly in time with the beat of her tune.

"Stop it!" Clarke had yelled. It was the one time she had actually spoken to the woman next door, receiving nothing but a chuckle in response, but, to Clarke's delight she was left to continue her shower without the threat of cold water on her back.

She decided to wield some payback when she heard the shower running once returning after Octavia's game.

Turning up her speakers slightly louder than she would normally and heading straight for the shower, she belted out the first line in the most obnoxious voice she could muster.

 _"I know a place, where the grass is really greener.  
Warm, wet and wild, there must be somethin' in the water.  
Sippin' gin and juice, layin' underneath the palm trees.  
The boys, break their necks, try'na creep a little sneak peek.  
You can travel the world, but nothin' comes close to the golden coast.  
Once you party with us, you'll be falling in love oh woahaoaoao."_

 _"California girls, we're unforgettable, Daisy Dukes, bikinis on top. Sun-kissed skin so hot we'll melt your popsicle, a-ohaohao oh woahaoaoao."_

The voice she had put on to sing this song was admittedly hilarious, and it was a bit of a crowd pleaser if she was being honest. She'd whipped it out at numerous karaoke nights with roaring success. So Clarke wasn't surprised to hear giggling coming from the woman next door. She loved the sound of this woman's laugh, and she couldn't get enough of hearing it in this moment. She spent the rest of the chorus and verse straining to hear that laugh over the sound of her own singing, managing to catch glimpses of it during pauses between lines.

What she was wholly surprised to hear, possibly more so than she had been when the woman had first joined in singing 'What is This Feeling' with her all those weeks ago, came after Clarke had paused for the rap verse to finish before she could keep singing the chorus.

* * *

Lexa heard the shower start up from next door, surprised to hear the opening licks of Katy Perry's 'California Gurls' float through the wall. The girl next door seemed to almost exclusively listen to songs from various musicals with only a few pop songs in between, so Katy Perry seemed like a stretch beneath her usual music taste. She was overwhelmed when the girl from next door had started to sing, however, the voice she had decided to take on was absolutely horrendous. Hilarious, yes, but horrendous all the same. Lexa couldn't help herself from laughing, she figured this was a round-about way of getting her back for the stunt she pulled with the cold water the other day.

The girl next door usually chose songs they could both sing along to, either classic duets or songs where they could share the verse and chorus. It was clear to Lexa that this wasn't one she was allowed to sing along to, she supposed the girl meant to force Lexa to listen to her horrible singing, rather than sharing the song between the two of them. What Lexa supposed the girl did not know was that 'California Gurls,' while by all accounts an absolutely terrible song, was one that Lexa knew like the back of her hand. A previous girlfriend had been an avid Katy Perry fan (Lexa should've known at the start it was never going to work out between them) and 'California Gurls' was both her morning alarm and her ringtone. Lexa found it impossible to get the song out of her head, mostly just frustrated that she only knew one line, and looping it over and over in her head was more painful than just listening to the whole song to get it out of her system. She broke up with that girlfriend around the same time she learned all the words to the song.

Fortunately for her in this moment, her recollection of the lyrics was crystal clear, and by no means was she going to let the girl next door get away with this torture.

* * *

 _"Toned, tanned, fit and ready, turn it up 'cause it's getting' heavy.  
Wild, wild west coast, these are the girls I love the most.  
I mean the ones, I mean like she's the one, kiss her, touch her, squeeze her buns."_

"Oh my _GOD_ " Clarke didn't even try to contain her laughter, this was too good. She had chosen the one song from the one artist that she was sure the woman next door wouldn't know, and yet here she was, throwing down the damn rap like she was born doing it.

 _"The girl's a freak, she drive a jeep and live on the beach.  
I'm okay, I won't play, I love the bay just like I love LA  
Venice Beach and Palm Springs, summertime is everything"_

The smirk in the woman's voice was palpable, she could hear it in every word she spoke, clearly enjoying how impressed Clarke was at her ability to carry the Snoop Dog lines without any prompting.

 _"Homeboys bangin' out, all that ass hangin' out  
Bikinis, zuchinis, martinis, no weenies  
Just a king and a queenie"_

"Katy, my lady?"

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"Looky here, baby"_

 _"Uh-huh"_

 _"I'm all up on ya  
'Cause your represtin' California"_

"Damn, girl!" Clarke choked out through her laughter, giddiness bubbling up in her chest compounded by the hearty laugh coming through the wall "you are something else."


	4. Chapter 4

"Bell, oh god, yes, please"

Lexa had heard more than a lifetime's fair share of sex noises through the wall of her apartment in the last year alone, but since the girl had moved in a few months ago she had been blessed with weeks and weeks of peaceful sleep, almost to the point that when she had woken up confused a little over two minutes ago, it took her a while to remember what the rhythmic banging noise actually was. The sound of a headboard smacking repeatedly against the apartment's shared bedroom wall wasn't one Lexa ever thought she'd forget.

"You're so hot, god, give me more, baby"

If she was being honest with herself, Lexa had been so engrossed with thinking about the next time she could sing with the girl next door in the recent weeks of their bathroom duets that she'd forgotten the girl probably had a life outside singing with a stranger in her shower. Of course this girl next door has a life. By the sounds of things she probably also has a boyfriend. Lexa tried not to acknowledge the twinge of jealousy in her gut. She was used to people having sex against her wall, this time shouldn't be any different.

"You're so hot, yeah fuck me, make me cum for you. Ooooh baby, harder! Oh god! Oh, you're gonna make, you're gonna make me-"

Dirty talk through the wall was definitely a new one, though.

* * *

Bellamy let out a low whistle, chuckling as Clarke climbed off his chest and wrestled herself into some jeans, hopping as she pulled them up her legs. "You weren't half kidding about that dirty talk thing, hey."

"See? I told you," Clarke said, "one time, this girl practically came without me even touching her. I swear to god, a little dirty talk can get you a long way."

"I was sceptical, Griffin, but that's dead set. I'm trying that one on next time."

"That's a bit rich given you basically begged me to have sex with you so you could see it for yourself. Plus since when do you talk like you're pretending to be Australian? You've been hanging out with that Chris guy too much. Isn't he Australian?" Clarke couldn't be sure but she thought Bellamy blushed at that. Though maybe he was still flushed, they had just had sex after all.

"Yeah, well, anyway. You made any progress with that hot neighbour of yours? I'm still waiting for her number, you know."

Clarke laughed, "get screwed, Bellamy, no. Plus what if she's totally my type too, I'm definitely not giving you her number then!"

"You still haven't even met her? Clarke you've been living here for over a month, lift your game, man! I gotta run anyway, thanks for the lesson," Bellamy winked and sauntered out of Clarke's apartment, picking up an apple from the fruit bowl on the way out.

The two of them had been having a movie night, Clarke had barely seen him since she moved in and she wanted to catch up on all the gossip. Apparently Octavia had started seeing someone which was exciting, she had to catch up with her soon too. Maybe she could have everyone over sometime, she had thought. When Bellamy asked about the girl she'd gone home with last time they'd all gone out, she told him about her dirty talk discovery, swearing by its effects. He'd asked to try it out and Clarke said yes, it wasn't like it was the first time they'd done it, and hell, it wasn't even the first time she'd had sex with someone to prove that very same point. Actually, come to think of it, both the Blake siblings had come to her with that question before. She'd have to tell them that some time, the look on Bellamy's face would be priceless.

* * *

"Lincoln, why do I care about this?" Lexa had woken up late this morning, missing her shower and the chance to talk to the girl next door. She had been planning to try and start a conversation if they sang together again to see how awkward is was between them; she hoped it wasn't too bad to prevent them from being friends. She found herself becoming increasingly fond of the girl, even with having to listen to her have loud, dirty sex that one time a couple of weeks back. At any rate, she hadn't been able to try anything of the sort out this morning, barely making it to work on time as it was. The whole ordeal had made her cranky enough to snap at Lincoln's rambling once they'd left the precinct for lunch.

"Because I'm important to you and Octavia is important to me and I don't want to screw it up."

"Have you looked at yourself recently, you're a police officer, and you're a pretty big guy, I'm sure you can take a few of your new girlfriend's "bffs.""

"Yeah, but asking me to meet her friends means meeting her brother too, apparently they all grew up with each other so her brother's going to be there!"

"Lincoln. You're over 6 feet tall, just pretend you're a hard-ass for one night and he'll back off. You'll be fine."

"Thanks for nothing, Commander, next time I try to confide in you do me a favour and remind me of this moment?" Lincoln shoved Lexa playfully on the shoulder, clearly not too bothered by her negative attitude, "I'm going to find Anya, maybe the stick up her butt is shorter than yours today."

"Actually, you know what? I hope this girl's brother beats you to a pulp tonight." Lexa tried to keep a straight face but broke out into a grin as Lincoln turned to walk away from her. "Later."

* * *

"Octavia Blake, you better be joking right now," Lincoln spun a cackling Octavia around in his arms, having picked her up as she tried to run away from him. He dug his fingers into Octavia's sides, making her giggle and squirm.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay, let me down, no, my parents aren't going to be there!"

"That isn't even remotely funny Octavia, your dad is my boss! I want the Commissioner to know who I am but not because I'm dating his daughter!"

"Well he's going to have to find out sooner or later, I don't like hiding things from people, you know that" Octavia said, she had told Lincoln about what had happened to her growing up soon after they had started dating. Being the child of a Police Commissioner made her a target, and when she was 6 years old she was kidnapped, spending the next 10 years of her life trapped in the basement of a madman who was hell-bent on inflicting pain on her family. When they had finally found her it had taken a while for her parents to adjust to her being alive again, believing that she had died soon after being taken. Her brother Bellamy had been the only one to treat her like she wasn't some fragile doll after she was rescued, she hadn't been fragile for a long time after what had happened to her, but no one seemed to get it except Bellamy.

"I know, baby, please don't think I'm trying to hide you, but your dad has the power to ruin my career in a heart-beat. I don't think either of us are ready for him to know about us yet."

"Yeah, okay, you're right. Last time I introduced Dad to someone I was seeing he nearly killed the poor guy, Mum had to jump in front of him so he couldn't reach the kitchen knife he'd been going for."

"Oh my god, Octavia you are not helping!" He reached out again, pinning her to the kitchen bench and tickling her until she reminded him they were going to be late.

"Come on, big guy, you don't want to be late to Clarke's do you?"

* * *

They ended up being very late, tickling turning into making out in the kitchen until Lincoln looked at the clock, swore and scooped up the scones he had made on his way out the door, Octavia trailing behind him.

"Just take a right here and then it's the apartment block on the left," Octavia directed.

"This one here?"

"Yeah, 128, the parking garage is just down there, Clarke said we could use her passcode to get in."

"A friend of mine from work lives in this building too, small world hey?"

They parked and made their way up the stairs, Lincoln attempting to talk himself out of panicking at the thought of meeting Octavia's brother and mostly letting Octavia direct him without paying too much attention to their whereabouts. Finally reaching the right floor, Octavia pinched Lincoln to bring him out of his reverie.

"Come on, Lincoln, we're here, get your head in the game," Octavia said, reaching forward and knocking on Clarke's door.

It had surprised Octavia at how nervous Lincoln had been about meeting Bellamy, but she was starting to get worried. He was clearly worked up about the whole thing, still inside his own head to the point that she really didn't think he knew where they were or remembered what they were doing. Before she could reach out and stop him, however, he had walked the few steps to the door next to Clarke's and knocked.

"What are you doing?!" Octavia hissed and dragged him back roughly by the back of his shirt, causing him to fumble and nearly drop the plate of scones in his hands.

"What?"

"We're going to Clarke's party and you just knocked on some random person's door, what were you thinking!"

Lincoln was clearly as confused as Octavia felt, looking between the two doors as though he was trying to piece something together. "I don't know, I'm sorry, I was just on auto-pilot coming up the stairs and when I saw the door I just-"

Before he could get out an explanation, Monty appeared on the other side of Clarke's door, taking one look at the two people standing outside and slurring, perhaps somewhat drunkenly, "Octaviaaaaaaaa."

At the same time the door from the apartment next door swung open, revealing a very puzzled Lexa, who, upon seeing the same two people Monty had, just said; "Lincoln?"

"Lexa?" Lincoln said.

"Lincoln?" Octavia said, clearly trying to understand what was happening.

"Octavia?" Lexa questioned, raising her eyebrows.

"You know each other?" Monty questioned, looking between Lincoln and Lexa.

"Yeah from work-" Lexa got out before being cut off.

"Perfect!" Monty exclaimed, grabbing Lexa by the wrist and throwing an arm around Octavia's neck and dragging them all inside Clarke's apartment.


	5. Chapter 5

"The love-birds have arrived" Monty yelled to the people crowded around the kitchen and living room. Pointing at their faces one-by-one, Monty attempted to introduce them all; "Jasper, Monroe, Harper, Raven, Miller, Finn, Echo, Bellamy, Clarke, and" pointing at himself, "I'm Monty. This is Octavia, who you all know, and her newest squeeze Lincoln, and this is Lexa-"

"Hot neighbour girl!" Bellamy shouted, jumping up and grabbing a beer out of the cooler on the living room floor and pressing it into Lexa's hand, "I didn't know you'd be showing up today."

"I-" Before Lexa could think of really anything to say, Bellamy steered her through the crowd of people and sat her down on a spare seat across from him on the couch.

"Glad to see you and Clarke finally met, I'm surprised she didn't mention you were coming."

"Clarke? I, no, the boy with the hair, Monty? Is that his name? He dragged me in, Lincoln knocked on my door and now I'm here and, you know what, I think I need to leave." Lexa was speaking hurriedly, panicking at the situation she had found herself in. She couldn't believe she was in the girl from next door's apartment. Did Bellamy say her name was Clarke? Wait, Bellamy, Lexa knew that name she'd heard it before somewhere – "oh god."

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. Stay, stay, hang on. So you and Clarke still haven't met? And why did Lincoln knock on your door?" Bellamy asked.

"No, no we've never run into each other before, before now I guess. Lincoln and I work together, I don't really know why he knocked though, he's supposed to be at this party with the girl he's sleeping with meeting all her friends and-"

"Her brother. I'm Octavia's brother" Bellamy said, cutting Lexa off for the second time in one night, the set of his jaw telling Lexa he clearly wasn't appreciative of her confirming that Lincoln was sleeping with his sister.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry, I just, I need to go," Lexa stood, trying desperately to leave the apartment, adamantly ignoring the fact that she was in the same room as the girl from next door; because meeting the girl, Clarke, in a room full of her friends, some of whom Lexa had already offended, wasn't in any of the scenarios she'd dreamed up about someday getting to talk to her.

Standing up, Lexa got all of two steps away from Bellamy before being stopped by a very confused looking Octavia and a sheepish Lincoln.

"Explain," Octavia demanded, looking between Lexa and Lincoln like they had somehow set this up as an elaborate ruse.

"O, look, I'm sorry, I was really nervous and when we got to Clarke's floor I was on auto-pilot and I just automatically knocked on Lexa's door. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry," he looked at Lexa, clearly attempting to extend his apology to her for getting her dragged into this mess as well. "It's kind of neat that Lexa lives next door to Clarke though, I mean, what are the chances?" He grinned cheekily at Octavia, confident that she would find the situation as amusing as he was in time. "Come on, let's go get you a drink," he said, steering Octavia into the kitchen, "stick around though, Lexa? It'd be nice to know someone here other than O."

"Oh you can't leave yet, you have to meet everyone!" Monty had heard Lincoln and had made his way over, enthusiastically throwing his arm across Lexa's shoulders. It didn't seem like she was going to be able to make it out of here any time soon.

* * *

An hour and a half after Monty dragged Lexa through her door and Clarke still hadn't managed to do more than sneak quick glances at the girl who was now sitting on a couch in her living room, less than two metres away from her. A little while ago Monty had brought her over and re-introduced her to the people sitting around chatting and mostly ignoring the marathon of New Zealand's Next Top Model which was playing on her TV. She could never really understand why but after stumbling across the New Zealand version of the show while drunk, Raven, Octavia and herself had unanimously decided it was better than the US version, and had downloaded as much of it as they could find off the internet. Clarke knew they all found the accents fun to listen to but there was something else entirely that made it more enjoyable than the original. She wasn't really enjoying it at the moment though, she was hardly paying any attention to it at all, perhaps even less than the other people scattered around her living room floor. Clarke was overwhelmed, thinking about nothing but the girl sitting across from her, the girl who she had been casually interacting with for months now, and who she had been desperate to meet for at least a couple of weeks. Clarke had had fantasies about this girl in her shower for goodness sake, but she still didn't quite understand how she came to be sitting in in her lounge room.

This was excruciating. There were parts of her that were aching to speak to the girl across the room, but she couldn't bring herself to actually go up and talk to her. Her name was Lexa, Clarke had learned, but she couldn't help but worry about what would happen if they tried to actually have a conversation. They sung together so naturally, and Clarke had felt there was at least something flirty between the two of them, albeit mostly through song choices on her part, but she knew that the possibility of it being unbearably awkward between the two of them after what they had shared was extremely high. She had entertained the thought that maybe it would be less awkward with other people around, that this situation she had found herself in, courtesy of Monty, was the perfect opportunity to speak to her, but with so many other people around it felt impossible to talk about what had happened between them and risk someone else hearing. Maybe Lexa wasn't embarrassed about other people knowing how they met, but Clarke couldn't bear the thought of having to explain how it came about that they sang to each other through the walls without ever having spoken.

The one thing Clarke could add to the list of encouraging signs about Lexa, though, was that when people started saying their goodbyes and making their way out of her apartment, she didn't take the opportunity to disappear, as Clarke thought she might have, but stayed around chatting with the last couple of tipsy stragglers. Clarke saw her talking with Octavia when she walked out from the kitchen, noticing shortly after that Lincoln and Bellamy appeared to be having an arm wrestling competition on the arm of Clarke's couch. She wasn't sure what that meant, but Octavia appeared to be smiling at the two of them so the both of them meeting couldn't have too badly.

"Clarke-nado, get over here." Octavia was still talking to Lexa and Clarke had managed this far into the night without directly being in the same conversation with the woman from next door but she didn't think she had any way of getting out of this one. "Lexa here was telling me that you two haven't even met yet?"

Lexa was giving Clarke wide eyes behind Octavia's line of sight. So maybe she was just as embarrassed as Clarke was about the whole 'singing through the walls' thing. "Uh, no actually. Seems impossible that we hadn't bumped into each other yet but-" stretching out her hand to shake Lexa's, "I'm Clarke."

Lexa smiled, her eyes lighting up in the shared secret that they were currently hiding from Octavia, who, if either of them cared to look at was clearly not fooled by the ruse. Something about the way they were interacting Octavia knew was iffy.

"Lexa," she said, shaking Clarke's outstretched hand.

"Well if you guys are going to hang around past my bedtime the least you could do is help me clean up. You too, guys, that pissing contest over there is impressing nobody."

Lincoln and Bellamy looked up at Clarke, paused mid-arm wrestle and quickly stood up, brushing themselves off and pretending like that wasn't at all what they were doing.

"Actually, sorry babe," Bellamy said, walking over to Clarke and giving her a quick peck on the cheek, "I'm heading off, I'm sure these guys can handle the clean up on their own." He smirked and stepped out the door, throwing a casual wink at his sister as he left.

"Me too, it's getting late," Octavia said, trying to follow swiftly in her brother's footsteps in getting out of Clarke's place as soon as possible to avoid getting lumped with dishes or mopping or something else horrible. "Lincoln's my designated driver, so he's coming too, bye!"

Lexa looked a little dumbfounded, she hadn't managed to take the chance to leave earlier when people were saying their goodbyes and suddenly she had gone from standing in a room relatively full of people to standing entirely on her own across from the girl she'd been essentially showering with for several weeks. "I can help clean, if you'd like?" She offered, instead of continuing to wish her entire body would crumble and disappear.

Maybe Clarke was sleep deprived, or a little drunk, or both, but her friends so unceremoniously leaving and the sudden awkwardness that had dropped on the two remaining girls, combined with the look on Lexa's face was too much. She tried to keep a straight face but it did little to hide the snort of laughter in the back of her throat, and when Lexa looked at her and snickered, the two of them quickly descended into an uncontrollable fit of giggles.

"I should go," Lexa managed to choke out once most of the giggles had passed, "thanks for covering for me with Octavia, though it didn't look like you particularly wanted to explain to her how we already knew each other, either."

Clarke laughed a little more at that, "hell no. Thanks for offering to stay and clean after all those assholes left me to do it on my own, even if you didn't really mean it."

"Of course I meant it, maybe I could come back tomorrow morning and help out? I'm not really doing anything and it's not like I live very far?

"That would be lovely, actually, thanks. It's nice to finally get to meet you in person, too. I'm not quite sure how you ended up here but I'm glad you did."

Lexa smiled. "Me too, Clarke."


	6. Chapter 6

Clarke had nearly finished cleaning up the left over debris from the party, and she had been more-than-a-little-bit hoping that Lexa would invite herself over to help. Not that Clarke needed the help, obviously, she just wanted the company. Clarke had turned her music on loud enough that she was sure the girl from the apartment next to hers could hear it, but not loud enough to wake her up at 9 o'clock on a Sunday. She wasn't an animal. But unless Clarke had missed her knock, Lexa was yet to appear. She got it, things were more than weird between the two of them and she probably just offered because she didn't know what else to say. Clarke still thought she sounded pretty genuine but whatever. Maybe the only way Clarke could actually talk to this girl was through the wall of her shower, but after meeting her she couldn't help but feel disappointed about the possibility of that being true.

Clarke was growing more and more angry with Lexa as the minutes ticked by, mostly to mask her disappointment from herself, for not even bothering to come and say hello after making a promise to come and help the night before, I mean who does that? If you tell someone you're going to do something the least you can do is let them know if you decide you're not going to do it after all. But no, nothing, no polite knock and excuse for not being able to come over, just complete radio silence.

When a knock did come from her door less than a minute later, Clarke wasn't surprised to find herself in a rather foul mood. She even considered not opening the door, despite the fact that she knew she was being petty and a little bit ridiculous for feeling as upset as she was.

"Clarke? Are you home?" Lexa called through the door, though Clarke was sure she must know, she still had her music playing for one thing.

"Hey Lexa, yeah I am, hang on just let me get the" Clarke pulled open the door and stopped mid-step. All of the negativity Clarke had been building up was gone in a fraction of a second, because there was Lexa, standing on her doorstep wearing what must have been the most impractical work-out gear Clarke had ever seen. That probably explained why she hadn't come over yet, but here she was after all, just like she had promised. "Door," she finished weakly.

"Sorry I'm so late, I was at the gym with Lincoln but I thought I'd still come by and see if you needed any help? I know I offered late last night so you probably don't even remember but I left at 7 this morning so I didn't think you'd want my help then either," Lexa was mumbling, trailing off into an awkward shuffle outside Clarke's door. She was generally the picture of confidence, and she wasn't sure she'd ever heard anyone describe her as 'shy' but standing in front of this girl was making her re-think a lot of things she thought she already knew about herself.

Clarke was almost lost for words. Lexa was standing outside her apartment wearing practically nothing (there was only a tiny difference between underwear, and booty shorts and a crop-top in Clarke's opinion, and this outfit was definitely borderline), looking like a freakin' Greek goddess, and it seemed like she was almost apologising for being there, like somehow she thought Clarke wouldn't want her to be standing outside her door.

"No, no, come in, I um, I'm nearly done but you can come in for a drink of water or something, it looks like you might need one? I mean you could always get one from your own place but"

"Thanks Clarke, yeah, I'd love one" Lexa said, gently cutting Clarke off and stepping inside her apartment for the second time in less than 24 hours. For someone who had been living next door for so long, it was almost surprising that this was the first time she'd actually been invited in. She wasn't sure last night actually counted given that Clarke didn't even know she what she looked like before she stepped inside, and she certainly didn't get an invite for the party she'd ended up crashing.

Setting a cold glass of water on the kitchen bench and gesturing to a bar stool for Lexa to sit on, Clarke asked "so Lexa, what is it that you do to keep such strange showering hours?"

* * *

As it turned out, the two of them got along so well after that first strange night at Clarke's house that Lexa found herself spending more and more time there, inviting herself over, more often than not, to marathon The West Wing, which Lexa herself didn't own. Having someone live next-door who she could actually spend time with was pretty novel, but Lexa was enjoying how easy it was for the two of them to almost instantly become friends.

Clarke had taken to really testing the boundaries of their showering arrangements, however, by frequently choosing songs that forced Lexa disclose a little more than she would have liked about what kind of music she listened to. When Clarke put on Justin Bieber's 'Baby' she almost stayed silent during the rap – knowing the lyrics to the chorus was pretty acceptable but being able to sing along with Ludacris was pretty, well, ludicrous. Lexa figured that it was worth it when Clarke nearly snorted with laughter at her singing the _"at school on the playground"_ line; no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't deny that she craved the sound of the blonde's laugh.

What she also couldn't deny was the frustratingly large crush she had seemed to form on the girl next-door, especially after they met and she found out how cute the blonde was in person. She hadn't put much of a value on relationships after the whole Costia debacle, and she certainly wasn't keen on the idea of starting a relationship with someone when they practically already lived together – one thin wall between them. But, that being said, they got along really well, and all the time they had been spending with each other lately was putting a bit of a strain on Lexa's self-control. Just yesterday she thought maybe there had been a moment between the two of them, Lexa laughing at Clarke's joke and Clarke not looking away as Lexa stopped giggling long enough to make eye contact, but it passed and Lexa couldn't tell whether she was over-thinking things or whether it had actually happened. She wished it did.

* * *

Lexa often invited herself over, nowadays, which, if she was being honest, Clarke didn't mind at all. So when Clarke heard a knock on her door just as she was cleaning up after a disappointingly lonely dinner, it was no surprise that she found Lexa on the other side of the door, fresh from a run.

"Hey, you, how far did you get today?" Clarke said, letting Lexa move past her into the apartment.

"I didn't get very far at all, actually, I'm wiped for some reason today. I thought maybe I could come over and watch a movie or something? If you're free?" Lexa replied.

"Yeah, that's cool, I was actually about to throw on that Love Actually movie, you know? The one with Hugh Grant?"

"Oh I know the one. I've always wanted to watch it but I've never really gotten around to it."

"Hang on," Clarke said, "do you mean to tell me that in all twenty-two years of life you've never seen Love Actually?"

Lexa laughed, "well no, but clearly tonight is my night."

"Damn right it is, grab the remote, I'll get the wine" Clarke replied, already on her way into the kitchen.

* * *

After Clarke laughed unnecessarily hard at Hugh Grant's security guard singing the Christmas carol, and Lexa cringed into Clarke through all the scenes with Martin Freeman in the porno, the two of them had shuffled so close together that they were practically sitting on top of each other; their legs crossed with Clarke almost facing Lexa, her knee pressed into the back of the couch. The movie rolled on in the background, finishing up the credits and then playing the title menu on a loop as the two of them talked about the film, then their work and their lives before they had moved into the shitty apartment block they called home.

"You're probably regretting moving out of that mansion to come live here, hey" Lexa teased after Clarke recounted a story of having nearly electrocuted herself trying to plug her toaster in the other day.

"Well, yes and no. I kind of like it actually. It's nice not having to rely on my parents for everything. Plus, you know, some of the people are nice here…" Clarke trailed off, not sure where she was really going with that and not sure how she could take it back.

She was kind of expecting Lexa to laugh it off, make a joke out of it and keep it casual, Clarke did enjoy having company here after all- it didn't have to mean more than that.

Lexa didn't though, it was nearing one o'clock in the morning and she didn't laugh or brush it off, she leaned in, waited for Clarke to take a hint and meet her halfway, and she kissed her. Lexa wasn't sure why she did, she had been determined all night not to let her feelings get away from her, but one way or another she found herself sitting on a couch, her lips pressed to Clarke's and realising that she should have done it sooner.

Lexa pulled back after a couple of seconds, ready for an awkward exchange and for Clarke to tell her she wasn't interested or make an excuse, possibly even to leave the apartment despite it being her own. But with one hand to the back of Lexa's neck, Clarke guided her back in, her eyes not even opening during the exchange enough to see the small look of shock on Lexa's face. She pressed her lips to Lexa's, harder than before, letting herself feel all the pent-up excitement and nervousness she had felt leading up to this moment. Climbing over the few inches of space left between them, Clarke crawled into Lexa's lap fully, ravelling in the feeling of Lexa's hands come up from behind to press into her back and slip up under her shirt. Clearly Lexa wanted this as much as Clarke did, and the thought spurred her into licking the very tip of her tongue over the swell of Lexa's bottom lip, asking for permission. It was freely given with a small sigh and an extra nudge to Clarke's back, so Clarke pulled back just enough to put some space between their open mouths, their foreheads barely separated, and let her tongue lick into Lexa's mouth, gently caressing Lexa's tongue with her own and shuddering at the feeling.

Lexa, unable to really comprehend how Clarke was sitting in her lap, with her tongue inside her mouth, bucked her hips just enough to make Clarke bounce up, her hands now on either side of Lexa's face shifting just slightly in surprise. Lexa trailed her hands down Clarke's spine from underneath the hem of her shirt and slid them over the back of her shorts, lifting Clarke enough to get her to follow the movement as Lexa leaned back into the couch, effectively lying Clarke down on top of her. Clarke let out a small moan and pressed more heavily into Lexa's front, her thumb beginning to rub little circles into Lexa's temple. Lexa couldn't stop herself from moving her hands back around to Clarke's front and palming her breasts through her shirt, making Clarke squeak and let out a small chuckle. Clarke sat up on her knees a little and went to strip off her shirt, but Lexa's hands on hers made her pause.

"I think maybe I should go home. It's getting late, and I like this," Lexa said, gesturing between herself and Clarke, "I like it a lot, but it's probably not a good idea for me to stay too much longer or I won't be able to help myself."

"Yeah okay," Clarke said, extricating her legs from the couch cushions they had slid into the gaps of, "I think that's a good idea. Sleep. Also a good idea because," she said, looking at the time, "shit. I have work in five hours. This, um. This has been nice. Maybe, we should do this again?"

"I'd like that a lot" Lexa replied. "Goodnight, Clarke."

"Night, Lexa."

* * *

To anyone who is upset about Clarke sleeping with Bellamy: I felt like the two of them being together that one time in this story was a good fit, but I appreciate that in some cases you disagree with me. She'd not going to sleep with him again, the reason they slept together was so I could introduce the "dirty talk" theme earlier in the story so it isn't a shock when Clarke and Lexa get together. The fact that Lexa heard it is important for three reasons: one – because the walls are thin and that's the literal premise of this story, two – Clarke is bisexual and a woman who I feel would definitely have a healthy sex life if she wasn't living on a post-apocalyptic earth and I'm sure Lexa can appreciate that, and three – because I wanted Lexa to know about the dirty talk before Clarke did it to her when they have sex. The way I've written it is pretty intense and tbh I think I'd be pretty shocked if someone started talking to me like that and I wasn't expecting it. You'll see, I guess!


	7. Chapter 7

_'We know very well who we are, so we hold it down when summer starts.  
What kind of dough have you been spending?  
What kind of bubblegum have you been blowing lately?'_

Lexa turned over and looked at the alarm clock sitting on the edge of her bedside table, a bright green ' _8:07am_ ' looked back at her in the dark and she sighed contentedly. She'd been running on fumes for weeks and today she had promised herself a sleep-in unmatched by any sleep-ins before. She was going to stay in bed all day if she had to, until she felt like she was fully rested enough to tackle the next few months of relentless work. '8:07' meant she had a full day of sleeping ahead of her, and she was so ready. Turning back over to shut out the light of her alarm clock, she briefly registered that the music Clarke was playing next door might have woken her up, but it certainly wasn't bothering her enough to be mad about it, she could definitely nap with a little music floating in the background.

* * *

 _"We wrote a story in the fog on the windows that night  
But the ending is the same every damn time, no, no, no  
We wrote a story in the fog on the windows that night  
But the ending is the same every damn time"_

 _'_ 10:28'

By the way Clarke was now singing along, Lexa guessed she'd had the same album on repeat the whole morning, now familiar enough with it to add her voice over the top of the music. Lexa couldn't really blame her, she'd done the same thing when the album had first come out. She was a bit of a Halsey fan; she wasn't going to deny it.

Lexa had seen Clarke a couple of times since their kiss that one night a few weeks ago, but they hadn't really spoken too much about it. The way they acted around each other was a little different, a little more flirty, a little less restrained. But at the same time they were being a bit more cautious, neither of them sure where they stood with each other. Lexa had gone to give Clarke a kiss on the cheek the last time she left her apartment but Clarke had tried to do the same and they ended up giving each other an accidental and awkward half peck on the others' lips. It could have gone worse, they both blushed and neither of them seemed disgusted by it, but it was awkward all the same. Unfortunately, with both of their work schedules way out of sync at the moment they didn't have a lot of time to spend together, Lexa wasn't even sure she knew when the last time they sang together was, which seemed odd after it becoming such a regular part of her week. She figured she'd work it out after she had some more sleep.

* * *

 _"I'm bigger than my body  
I'm colder than this home  
I'm meaner than my demons  
I'm bigger than these bones"_

'13:12'

When Lexa woke to look at the time this time she knew she had to get up, she felt cosy enough to stay in bed for a few more hours at least, but she knew she wouldn't sleep tonight if she didn't get up now and do something, even if it was just going over to bother Clarke with watching a movie. Maybe she'd head over after a shower, sleeping in and staying under the blankets during the warmth of the day was a sure fire way to get pretty gross and sweaty, and she did kind of want to keep making a good impression.

Jumping in the shower she knew it was possible that Clarke would join her on the other side, it had happened enough now that they were pretty comfortable with the other person showering just for the hell of it if they heard the other person start the shower on the opposite side of the wall. But as the beat of the next song drifted through the wall Lexa almost regretted getting in, she knew all the words to this one and she had no doubt Clarke did too.

 _"He says, Oh, baby girl, you know we're gonna be legends  
I'm the king and you're the queen and we will stumble through heaven  
If there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes  
I know you wanna go to heaven but you're human tonight"_

Lexa wasn't going to lie, she knew where this song was going, and hearing Clarke serenade her with it was definitely turning her on more than she would have liked.

 _"And I've been sitting at the bottom of a swimming pool  
For a while now, drowning my thoughts out with sounds"_

 _"But do you feel like a young God?  
You know the two of us are just young gods  
And we'll be flying through the streets with the people underneath  
And they're running, running, running"_

 _"But do you feel like a young God?  
You know the two of us are just young gods  
And we'll be flying through the streets with the people underneath  
And they're running, running, running again"_

Lexa's mouth was getting dry thinking about the next lines, and she knew she shouldn't but she couldn't help the hand sliding down her body.

 _He says Oh, baby girl, don't get cut on my edges  
I'm the king of everything and oh, my tongue is a weapon  
There's a light in the crack that's separating your thighs  
And if you wanna go to heaven you should fuck me tonight"_

She couldn't help but feel like she was crossing some kind of line touching herself while there was someone standing barely a metre away from her, but this was too much and not enough and Lexa couldn't help it.

 _"And I've been sitting at the bottom of a swimming pool  
For a while now, drowning my thoughts out with sounds"_

 _"But do you feel like a young God?  
You know the two of us are just young gods  
And we'll be flying through the streets with the people underneath  
And they're running, running, running"_

 _"But do you feel like a young God?  
You know the two of us are just young gods  
And we'll be flying through the streets with the people underneath  
And they're running, running, running"_

Lexa's voice cracked at the last line and she knew she'd gone too far. She couldn't just touch herself while thinking about someone in the shower across from her, so she stumbled out, turning off the faucet and fast-tracking it to her room to give herself some space away from thinking about the girl next door. Clarke. The girl she kissed and couldn't stop thinking about kissing and touching and. Lexa shook her head for a moment and gathered her thoughts. She couldn't go over to Clarke's thinking like this, she just had to put some clothes on and pull herself together and pretend she hadn't almost moaned her neighbour's name in the shower.

* * *

Clarke knew the person at her door was Lexa, because after the first time Clarke laughed at it she had started doing more and more intricate knocks, often to the beat of tunes she could actually recognise before she opened the door. Today's was 'The Imperial March' from Star Wars.

"Hey cutie," Clarke said, leaning forward and pressing her lips against Lexa's cheek, "come in! Did you have a good sleep-in? It seemed like you needed it this week."

"Yeah, I did actually, thanks, I definitely feel more rested than I have in a while."

"I know it's your rest day, so, 'Music & Lyrics' or 'Music & Lyrics,'" Clarke said, holding up two separate copies of exactly the same movie.

"Should I even ask why you have two copies of the same thing?" Lexa said, grabbing one and grinning as she put it in the DVD player beneath Clarke's tiny TV.

"Nah, that'd just be spoiling the fun, wouldn't it?"

Clarke threw herself on the couch and grabbed a blanket off the floor as Lexa sat down on the opposite side, crossing her legs and settling in to watch the movie.

"Um," Clarke said, "Lex, you appear to be sitting on the other side of the couch, which, by my standards is far too far away. I was kind of hoping inviting a pretty girl over to my apartment might mean I got some cuddles but… if you're not keen then…"

Lexa laughed and scooted across, wrapping Clarke up in her arms and squeezing until Clarke tapped out in a fit of giggles. "Okay then Miss Griffin, as you wish."

* * *

Being wrapped in Lexa's arms had its perks, Clarke decided, between her breath on Clarke's neck and her leg between Clarke's, she was pretty confident that the cuddling thing was a good decision on her part. She'd been slowly minimising the space between them by shuffling back into Lexa, which she thought Lexa hadn't noticed but,

"You're the worst little spoon ever, you know that?"

"I am not!" Clarke said, "I'm just doing your job for you, you're the one who's supposed to be cuddling me!"

Lexa gasped in mock outrage "hang on, you mean to tell me that this whole time I've been cuddling you you've thought I was a shit cuddler?"

"Well you could've at least felt me up a little bit, surely" Clarke said, throwing a wink at Lexa now that she had turned around to face her instead of the movie.

"Oh I see, that's how it is, is it? You think I need directions?"

"Yes. Like right now you should stop talking and ki-"

Lexa kissed her, hard, pressing her hands into Clarke's back and hoping that that was how the rest of Clarke's sentence was going to go. Clarke hummed into the kiss and smiled, breaking apart to push Lexa sideways so that she was sitting up and then grinding herself down into her lap. Lexa grinned, leaning forward and kissing Clarke again, slipping her tongue into Clarke's mouth and dragging a hand around from Clarke's back to cup her jaw, fingers splayed across the back of Clarke's neck.

Lexa was confused when Clarke pulled away, thinking surely she couldn't have already done something wrong. Clarke paused the film and flicked on the stereo, the Halsey album picking up where it had left off less than an hour before. Pulling her shirt over her head, Clarke beckoned Lexa to follow her, dropping items of clothing as she walked and watching as Lexa's eyes followed the swaying of her hips, pupils blown. Lexa was spurred into action as Clarke winked, hanging her shirt from her finger before letting it fall to the floor and turning down the hallway and out of Lexa's line of sight. Quickly following suit and leaving her clothes in a messy trail next to Clarke's, she started down the hallway. When she heard Clarke's shower spurt to life she grinned, knowing exactly how this was going to play out.

The sound from the stereo still on in Clarke's living room was drifting down to the bathroom, loud enough for both girls to still hear as Lexa opened the fogged glass of the shower door to find Clarke, just as naked as herself. Clarke had fantasised about pleasuring the woman next door in this very shower more times than she would care to admit, but she also knew she'd thought about it too much to care about how clichéd it was to want it to happen like this their first time. If the smirk on Lexa's face was anything to go by, though, she was definitely thinking it.

Lexa stepped in to the shower slowly, eyes raking up Clarke's body, pausing when her gaze reached her chest. She watched as the water moved down Clarke's front, staking a claim to the path between her breasts; Lexa wanted more than anything in that moment to reach out and follow the water with her fingers, and then her tongue, but she was brought out of her reverie by the sound of Clarke giggling, clearly amused at how long Lexa had been unable to tear her eyes away.

"See something you like?" Clarke questioned, smirking at Lexa who was quickly turning red at having been caught out. Lexa gulped, she nodded weakly, not trusting herself to be able to talk with her throat as dry as it felt. As confident as she felt in her almost every move as a police officer, and even in her everyday life, something about Clarke disarmed her. The feeling was extremely unfamiliar but with Clarke looking at her, her eyes heavy with lust and her bottom lip trapped between her teeth, Lexa couldn't bring herself to find it unwelcome.

Clarke re-attached herself to Lexa's lips, dragging them both backwards into the warm water and threading her hands through the soft braids in Lexa's hair. Letting the water fall on Lexa's back, Clarke leaned against the tiled wall, not letting their mouths separate until she nudged at Lexa's chin with her nose, pushed her neck to the side and let her tongue slide up the expanse of skin from her collar bone, nipping her ear before planting her lips firmly back on the brunette's. Lexa pushed forward, pinning Clarke between the tiles and her own warm body, all the while flicking her tongue over the swell of the blonde's lower lip, seeking permission. Feeling the blonde sigh into her mouth, her tongue claiming Lexa's in response, Lexa couldn't contain the moan drawn up from the back of her throat as it fell on to Clarke's lips. Slipping her leg between Clarke's thighs drew out a sound that Lexa could only describe as a growl, deep and full of want; she stilled and moved to look at the blonde's face, smirking, expecting to see embarrassment at such a noise, but Lexa was surprised to find Clarke's face defiant and clearly beyond caring about censoring herself.

Clarke spun the two of them and pressed Lexa against the tiled wall hard, her teeth on the brunette's neck and her hands at her hips. Clarke knew immediately that she needed to kick it up a notch, the roughness of her teeth on Lexa's neck bringing with it a frankly pornographic moan from the woman in front of her. She palmed Lexa's breasts and let her mouth pull on the skin of the woman's neck until she was sure she would have left a very impressive mark, the skin already red and mottled as she worked her way back to the brunette's mouth. Pushing her tongue between Lexa's lips and moaning at the feeling of their tongues slicking together, Clarke let one of her hands drop to the apex of Lexa's legs, drawing in a sharp breath at the wetness she found when she did. Lexa whimpered, not expecting to have the blonde's fingers against her so suddenly, surprised and aroused by the feeling.

"God, you're so wet," Clarke said, not pretending to be anything less than captivated by the feeling of her fingers slipping through Lexa's folds. She drew her hand back up the brunette's abdomen, dragging a trail of Lexa's own wetness in a path up her body with her fingers. Clarke pulled back to look at the woman in front of her, watching as the woman's eyes closed, her head falling back against the tiles and her neck arching deliciously, showcasing some of Clarke's best art in red, angry patches up both sides. Clarke, more turned on that she felt she may ever have been in her life, dipped her head, closing her lips around the pink bud of Lexa's nipple, pinching the other with her hand and listening intently to the noises Lexa was letting slip under Clarke's ministrations. She let her teeth graze over the brunette's nipple, more sure than ever that the girl she was desperate to please appreciated a little more pressure and forcefulness when it came to her pleasure. Lexa was squirming beneath her touch, rutting her hips forward in a silent plea for Clarke to move faster, whimpering and sighing unabashedly each time Clarke swiped her tongue over her now painfully stiff nipples. Clarke had no intention to disappoint the goddess standing in front of her, and so dropped to her knees, her hands reaching up to anchor the brunette's hips against the wall.

Clarke moaned openly as her tongue first slipped into Lexa's sex, tasting her and lapping up the juices from her folds. Lexa was breathing heavily, preparing herself for what she could tell was going to be one of the best orgasms of her life, not able to fathom anything other than the feeling of Clarke's mouth between her legs. She felt Clarke release her hip with her right hand and watched as she moved it down to stroke a line up her inner thigh. Clarke looked up at Lexa, seeking confirmation that her movements were okay, and Lexa nodded profusely, not able to control her hips as they stuttered off the wall in the direction of Clarke's mouth.

"You," Clarke said, sliding a single finger inside Lexa up to the first knuckle "are so," she was going agonisingly slowly, her control being tested at the feeling, "so wet for me." Clarke hadn't always been big on dirty talk, but once she discovered how frequently it enhanced the experience for the person (more often than not, girl) she was pleasuring, she found she often couldn't help herself. Predictably, at hearing Clarke's words, Lexa let out a whine and ground her hips down onto Clarke's finger, her eyes flying open in surprise at how much Clarke's words had affected her. She had heard Clarke's affinity for dirty talk in action through the walls before, but she had never thought she would find it so arousing herself. Looking at the blonde, Lexa saw a knowing smirk painted on the girl's face, juxtaposed against her own which she was sure was incredibly flushed. Lexa nodded, attempting to convey her decision to trust Clarke on this one, and let her head fall back against the tiles once again as Clarke resumed her work between the brunette's legs.

"Is this all for me," Clarke said, her tongue wiping Lexa's wetness off her thighs as she moved her finger slowly in and out of the brunette, she hummed "mmm, you taste so good, baby, so good for me." Lexa was so overwhelmed she could barely choke out a single word, but she managed to still the moans falling from her lips long enough to tell Clarke she needed "m-more, Clarke, more."

"You want more, baby, you want more fingers inside you?"

"Yes." It was nearly a whisper.

As much as Clarke wanted to ravage the woman standing above her, she was also desperate to draw this out for as long as she could, knowing she could make the experience absolutely unforgettable. She withdrew her finger from inside Lexa, but instead of returning it with another as Lexa had asked, she took the opportunity to slip her tongue between the woman's folds once again, pushing at her entrance with the stiffened tip. She let her fingers trail up to Lexa's clit, circling it as she moved her tongue inside the brunette. Clarke moaned, mostly for herself, but in the knowledge that the vibrations from her mouth would make the feeling all the more enjoyable for the woman above her who was making noises Clarke knew she would be able to remember the next time she needed inspiration to move her skilled fingers over herself in a time of need. Clarke was taking her time but her control was waning, and she could tell the woman above her was getting closer and closer to the edge by the second. She stilled her tongue and moved her fingers back to the woman's entrance, circling it and pushing two of her fingers inside only marginally faster than she had done the first time. At the feeling of Clarke's fingers finally moving inside her again, Lexa let out a guttural moan, letting the sound join the steam of the shower as she had all the others.

"Lexa," Clarke let her fingers slide of the brunette's entrance, "you're so beautiful," she said as she slid them back in, starting to set a pace, pumping in and out of the woman above her. "Baby, you're so good for me, so tight. I want you so wet baby, I want you dripping, I want your cum all over my mouth, I'm going to make you cum so hard baby." Clarke's voice was breathy, her own arousal overpowering her ability to make her mouth form words. Moving her mouth to Lexa's clit, it didn't take long to push her over the edge, the brunette's muscles shaking as she struggled to keep herself standing, moaning as she came back from her high. Clarke guided Lexa down to the floor, knowing neither of them were strong enough to keep her upright at that point. Clarke straddled across Lexa's legs, kissing her softly on the forehead and leaning back to look at her as she regained her composure. Catching her breath, Lexa smiled up at Clarke, still more than a little astounded at what had just happened between the two of them. Dragging her hands through Clarke's hair she whispered; "let's go to bed."


	8. Chapter 8

As Clarke started to wake up she took in her surroundings, her bedroom, though small, was probably her favourite part of her apartment, the blinds bathing her in soft, diffuse sunlight every morning. Back in her room at her parents' house she had never been able to wake up comfortably in the same way. She didn't know it at the time, she didn't have much to compare it to, but waking up there was drenched in cold and bleak and would instantly remind her of the reality of her day, whichever family crisis was threatening to defeat her would always be there. Here, it was different. She was allowed a moments peace, to drink in warmth and comfort, her small room allowing her to feel secure and not like she was sleeping in an empty office block. It allowed her to wake up slowly, when she could, she wasn't always able to but without the need to get up for work she would often take her time drifting in and out of sleep and letting her mind run free. As each new sensation hit her this morning she was finding it hard to supress a smile. It started with the sun, facing the window, Clarke woke early, as soon as the sun began to peek through her shades. She could hear the birds outside in the park below her building, she could hear the bustle of a city rising early, and she could hear her breath, soft and slow with her heartbeat. She was warm, safe wrapped in her blankets, and she could hear the peaceful breathing of the girl beside her, her arm wrapped around Clarke's middle as she released a steady rhythm of warm breaths on the back of Clarke's neck. Turning slowly, so as not to wake Lexa, Clarke took in the sight of the girl before her, relaxed and devastatingly beautiful. The memories of last night were a delicious haze in the back of Clarke's mind, but right now she could think of nothing but just how gorgeous it was to see Lexa, naked, and asleep in her bed. Clarke lifted a hand to stroke Lexa's cheek, remembering how reverent Lexa had been last night once they had gone to bed, how softly she would press her lips to Clarke's own cheek and whisper how beautiful she was in Clarke's ear. It made her shiver, the movement stirring the girl beside her who, after a few moments, fluttered her eyes open and gave Clarke a sleepy smile. Lexa's voice, low and gravelly croaked out, "good morning Clarke."

"Good morning, beautiful."

Lexa blushed. "Do you have any plans for today?"

"Not really," Clarke replied, her voice, though not as sinfully low as Lexa's, also yet to recover from her sleep, "I was kind of hoping you'd like to stay for breakfast?"

"I would love to Clarke."

Lexa smiled again and Clarke was slowly forgetting how to breathe. She threaded her legs through Lexa's, leaning forward to close the distance between her and the brunette. She had always thought that kissing girls was just so much _softer_ than kissing boys, but in her life she didn't have a kiss that came close to comparing to just how delicate it was kissing a sleepy Lexa. Lexa paused and drew back, her breath hitching a little.

"If it's alright with you though Clarke, I think I'd like a shower, could I borrow yours?"

"Of course, you know where everything is now I'm sure, did you want company?" Clarke smirked a little, hoping Lexa was thinking about last night the same way she was and not regretting it the morning after.

Lexa's lips pricked up into a small smile, but she shook her head. "If it's alright with you I might just have one quickly before breakfast?"

"Okay," Clarke said, a little disappointed but not offended, she was sure Lexa just wanted a couple of moments of privacy, to which she was more than entitled to, "I might even have some pancakes ready for you when you get out."

"I'd love that," Lexa said, pressing another kiss to Clarke's lips and turning, slipping out of bed and padding through her bedroom and out into the corridor.

Clarke closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She wasn't going to let the fact that Lexa didn't want her in the shower to get to her. She was still here, not running off home and making excuses, she was opening up her day, showering in Clarke's shower and promising to stay for breakfast. Clarke couldn't begrudge her a moment to herself. Finally slipping out of bed herself, Clarke threw on some underwear and a t-shirt, and made her way out into the kitchen to see if she actually had the ingredients for making pancakes, or whether a potentially romantic breakfast was going to turn into bowls of cereal. As she walked past down her corridor past the bathroom she could hear the first notes of a song starting to play, she wondered briefly whether Lexa was going to sing too, but that question was quickly answered by Lexa's voice drifting through the flimsy wooden door.

 _"You shout it out,_  
 _But I can't hear a word you say_  
 _I'm talking loud, not saying much"_

Clarke loved the sound of Lexa's voice, and this song was beautiful. As she pottered around the kitchen she listened in, Lexa was clearly unashamed about singing, not surprising given where they started, and Clarke was very appreciative.

 _"I'm criticised but all your bullets ricochet  
You shoot me down, but I get up"_

Clarke could hear the emotion in Lexa's voice, but it didn't make sense for it to be related to what had just happened between the two of them, the song didn't fit. Clearly it meant a lot to her, and Clarke wondered whether something had happened recently to make Lexa feel so vulnerable.

 _"I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose_  
 _Fire away, fire away_  
 _Ricochet, you take your aim_  
 _Fire away, fire away_  
 _You shoot me down but I won't fall_  
 _I am titanium_  
 _You shoot me down but I won't fall_  
 _I am titanium"_

The fact that Lexa was choosing to share this with her was making Clarke's heart swell. It felt so private listening to Lexa sing like this, her voice laced with sadness, bitter even, and such soaring hope and defiance at the same time, but their relationship with sharing through singing made it impossible for Clarke to feel like she was intruding. For whatever reason, Lexa wanted Clarke to hear this, and Clarke wasn't going to treat that like it was nothing.

 _"Cut me down_  
 _But it's you who'll have further to fall_  
 _Ghost town and haunted love_  
 _Raise your voice, sticks and stones may break my bones_  
 _I'm talking loud not saying much_

 _I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose_  
 _Fire away, fire away_  
 _Ricochet, you take your aim_  
 _Fire away, fire away_  
 _You shoot me down but I won't fall_  
 _I am titanium_  
 _You shoot me down but I won't fall_  
 _I am titanium_  
 _I am titanium_  
 _I am titanium"_

Lexa's voice was astounding, but she was obviously crying. Clarke honestly didn't know what to do at this point. Lexa had clearly wanted her privacy, but here she was, sharing this suddenly extremely intimate moment with Clarke, and Clarke absolutely could not keep making pancakes and pretend she didn't care that Lexa was sobbing in her shower only a few meters from where she was standing. Clarke moved to the door of the bathroom and knocked softly, hoping she wasn't overstepping her boundaries of this thing they had between them. Lexa hiccupped at the sound of Clarke's knock, and Clarke pushed the door open just enough to call in to her.

"Lexa, honey are you okay?"

"Clarke." Lexa sobbed her name.

Clarke pushed open the door and her heart broke at the sight of Lexa, standing hunched over with scalding hot water cascading down her back, her hands pressed to her face as she cried. Clarke moved towards her, stepping in the shower, not caring about the fact that she was wearing clothes she had only just put on, and wrapped her arms around the brunette. Holding her close and pressing a soft kiss to the top of Lexa's head, Clarke finished the last lines for her.

 _"Stone-heart, machine gun_  
 _Firing at the ones who run_  
 _Stone heart loves bulletproof glass"_

Clarke, knowing that it was the right thing to do, made some minor adjustments to the lyrics. It was a decision which made Lexa, upon hearing what Clarke was doing, ball her hands in Clarke's soaking wet t-shirt and sob even harder.

 _"They shoot you down but you won't fall_  
 _You are titanium_  
 _They shoot you down but you won't fall_  
 _You are titanium_  
 _They shoot you down but you won't fall_  
 _You are titanium_  
 _You shoot me down but I won't fall_  
 _You are titanium_  
 _You are titanium"_

Knowing that Lexa needed her, Clarke turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbed Lexa a towel and wrapped her tightly in it, holding her just as tight until she felt her press a soft kiss to the base of Clarke's neck where her head had been nestled. Clarke leaned her head back, looking into Lexa's bloodshot eyes. Lexa was the first to speak.

"Can we have pancakes?"

And it was decided. Clarke knew this wasn't the time to push Lexa to explain what was going on, but the girl wanted pancakes, so Clarke was going to do everything in her power to get them for her.

"Yes, Lexa. Yes of course. Of course we can have pancakes."


End file.
